Curtain-stretcher.



. M. PHILLIPS.

CURTAIN STRETCHER. APPLICATION H LED MAR. I5, 1915- 1,216,725. Patented Feb. 20, 1917.

ZZ EZVeZZZaZ" \Ma ZCWPhZZZZiW i! stored away and make them very inconvenient to handle in mounting, because the tenter hooks must be quite sharp in order to avoid injuring the fabric when it is stretched upon them, and thebars thus become somewhat dangerous in handling. In other forms of frame in commonv use the bars are furnished with a covering of fab-ricfor pinning the curtain to the bars; but 1nusing frames of this character, the pins very frequently strike the wood when pinning the curtain to the fabric, and the thumb and fingers of the operator frequently become chafed to bleeding by the time the curtain has been pinned in place. These defects of prior constructions are avoided by providing the bar, A, with obliquely-inwardtrending pin-holes, a, preferably at uniform distances, as for example, one inch, apart along the whole length of the bars. The operator has only to draw the edge of the curtain over the edge of the bar and insert a pin through the fabric and into the hole nearest the corner in each of the bars at the corner, then continuing along either edge, suitably stretching the edge and inserting a pin through the fabric and into the next pinhole, which will be clearly in sight so as to receive the pin without any snagging by catching its point in the wood which would tend to bruise the fingers of the operator by the head of the pin. The pin being inserted obliquely downward and-inward so that the projecting portion projects obliquely upward and outward, the stretching of the curtain draws it down into the acute angle between the pin and'the surfaceof the bar, and obviates any liability of bending the pin by the stretching of the curtain, and in 40 fact with pins of toilet size, as many as half a dozen curtains may be stretched at a time upon the frames constructed as provided in this manner. For convenience in entering the pin into the pin-hole, the surface of the bar has a longitudinal groove, a crossing the mouths of all the pin-holes,that is, all the pin-holes start atthis groove, so that the operator, even having dim sight or trembling hands, can readily direct the pin into the pin-hole by merely drawing the point on the surface of the bar to the groove and then along the groove'to the pin-hole. For a like purpose, as well as to render each bar available as a measuring rod for stretching the curtain to' exact dimensions, transverse grooves, a are formed on the surface of the bar from each pin-hole inward to the inner edge and outward for a sufficient distance toward the outer edge of the bar to be seen o beyond the edge of the curtain when pinned place on the bar. In assembling the bars and clamping them together, the longitudinal groove, a being registered within a transverse groove, a will locate a pin-hole c5 exactly at the corner of the curtain which is desirable, and all the corners being-thus adjusted, the frame will be adapted to stretch the curtain in each dimension to exactly a selected number of inches.

It is desirable that a frame for this purpose should be self-supporting, both for convenience of stretching the curtain on the frame and also for advantage in drying the curtains on the frame, and for this purpose there are provided legs, E, which may be 5 comparatively slender rods, and for securing them at the corners. of the frame the loop fittings, B, have holes 1 b registering with holes in the bars, A, through which screws, F, are; inserted from the top and so screwed downfinto the ends of the legs.

'Suitably long and largethreaded screws being employed, and holes beingfirstbored in the ends of'the legs for'them of suitable size to permit the screws to c'ut'their own 35 threads permanently in-the wood, the screws may be withdrawn when the frame is disassembled for storage, and re-inserted indefinitely without wearing out their hold upon the wood.

1. A curtain stretcher comprising bars each having one end provided with a metai loop through which the other end of the adjacent cross-bar can be thrust, and means for clamping such cross-bar ,in' said loop comprising a clamp screw loosely inserted through the end of theloop; a. non-circular nut'on said screw'inside the loop, and a spring shoesecured to the loop and extending between the end of the screw and the edge of the bar to vbe clamped therein, said shoe being formed to engage also the noncircular edge of the nut. I

2; A curtain stretcher comprising bars 1 each having one end provided with a fiat metal loop through which the other end of the adjacent cross-bar'fcan be thrust to form arectangular frame, and means for clamping said cross-bar in such loop comprising a clamp screw" loosely inserted through the end of theloop; a non-"circular nut on said screw within the loop and dimensioned to be engaged by the opposing walls of said loop and thereby stopped against rotation, and a spring shoe disposed between the end of said clamp screw and, the member to be clamped, and having portions bent to extend past those sides of the nut facingthe open sides of the loop for positioning the nut independently of the clamp screw.

3. In a curtain stretcher comprising frame bars each. having at one'fend a metal loop for the insertion of an adjacent cross-bar in the same plane with thebar having the loop,

the loop fitting comprising fiat portions ex- ;tendlng over thetop andbottom'surfaces of the bar for securement thereto,lsaid portions having vertically registered apertures; a leg member having a" threaded bore in one end and. an attaching screw extendingmy hand'at Chicago ,"Illinoisithisth day through the saidapertures of the loop fit-' of March, 1915. I x v I ting and into said threadedfboi'e of the leg s 1 for reinovablyn securing the upper end of the latter against the flat under-side of the ,7 Witnesses: loop fitting. J r I R0131. N BURTON} In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set EDITH M. MAQSETQN,

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, 'by addressing the Commissioner of Pet ents 3 Washington, D. G. i 

